memory_alphafandomcom-20200223-history
Galaxy class
The Galaxy-class was a Starfleet vessel first introduced in the late 2350s. It was the largest and one of the most powerful Federation starship classes of its time, with many serving in the Dominion War. History Design and development The Galaxy-class began development in the 2350s at Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards. ( ) Numerous technologies implemented on Galaxy-class starships were tested aboard earlier prototype vessels, including the in the 2350s. ( ) The warp core was designed at Outpost Seran-T-one on stardate 40052 by some of the most brilliant engineering minds in the Federation, including Leah Brahms of the Theoretical Propulsion Group. ( ) Major component construction of Galaxy-class ships was carried out both in orbit and at ground based facilities. :Although the ''Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual portrays a long, drawn-out construction history of the Galaxy-class, and seem to suggest that the ships were designed and placed into service rather quickly, as final systems were designed only one year prior to the launch of the Enterprise-D. The ship itself was still under major construction one year prior to .'' Upon its launch, the Galaxy-class had become the most technologically sophisticated and complicated ship ever built by the Federation. ( ) Early years The great size and capability of Galaxy-class starships made them extremely prestigious assignments, attracting Starfleet's best and brightest. ( ; ) They were noted for their impressive abilities among Federation citizens and other Alpha Quadrant races. ( ; ; ) The Galaxy-class was unique among Starfleet vessel designs in assuming a large civilian population; many personnel brought their families aboard. In 2365, the safety of the Galaxy-class, in particular its warp propulsion system, came into question when the was lost in a mysterious accident near the Romulan Neutral Zone. The ship had experienced massive system-wide failures which eventually led to a loss of antimatter containment. Further investigation by the Enterprise-D revealed the malfunctions were the result of an Iconian software transmission and not a design flaw inherent to the ship. ( ) Undoubtedly the most prominent early Galaxy-class starship was the , which, apart from two brief periods under the commands of William T. Riker and Edward Jellico, was commanded for its entire nine year career by Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Enterprise made first contact with a multitude of new species, including the Q Continuum, the Ferengi Alliance and the Borg Collective. Its diplomatic efforts helped cool tensions between smaller, regional powers and prevent dramatic upheavals to the security of the Federation during the Klingon Civil War, and frequently checked Romulan and Cardassian operations in tense situations. It fought off some of the Federation's toughest foes, most notably preventing the assimilation of Earth during the Borg invasion of 2367. (Star Trek: The Next Generation) Dominion War A Galaxy-class ship was involved in the disastrous first contact with the Dominion. The had entered the Gamma Quadrant in order to rescue several Federation citizens who had been taken captive by the Jem'Hadar. While the Odyssey was retreating, a Jem'Hadar attack ship made a suicide run at its stardrive section, causing a massive hull breach and resulting in the complete destruction of the ship. ( ) This unwarranted act led to three years of hostilities between the Federation and the Dominion, culminating in the outbreak of the Dominion War. Galaxy-class starships saw action in many of the major fleet actions of the war, including Operation Return, where the class also played a major strategic role, grouped into Galaxy wings, ( ) the first Battle of Chin'toka, ( ) and the Battle of Cardassia. ( ) :Analysis of the special effect shots from showed no less than five, possibly even nine separate ''Galaxy-class vessels in the combined Federation fleet in Operation Return. While the intention of the SFX company was clearly to fill the space with more ships (due to the supposed fleet size of roughly 600 vessels), this would indicate that there are perhaps more than the initial six Galaxy-class starships referenced in the TNG Technical Manual. It is also stated within the Technical Manual that Starfleet had reserved parts that could complete another six Galaxy-class starships. These parts could have been rushed into assembly to fill the ranks of the fleet for wartime use or to replace the losses at Wolf 359. With a total of twelve Galaxy-class ships produced and the known loss of the , , and the , this leads to a count of nine ships in the fleet. If the ships seen during that battle do not represent the entire Galaxy-class fleet, there could possibly have been more than either six or nine.'' Later status Several more starships entered the fleet inventory during the 2370s. ( ) By the latter half of the decade, Galaxy-class ships were seen all around Federation space, from stations near Earth ( ) to near the Romulan Neutral Zone. ( ) In an unknown, alternate future timeframe, ''Galaxy-class ships remained in service long after 2370, although some attempts had been made to decommission them. ( )'' :At least three, possibly four, ''Galaxy-class ships were shown under construction at Utopia Planitia during . At least five, possibly seven, Galaxy-class ships were part of the fleet assembled to intercept the Borg sphere in .'' However, despite the major technological advances embodied by the Galaxy class, by the mid- 2370s a number of possible design limitations and faults had been seen in its service role. Firstly the sheer size of the vessel caused several problems, drawing criticisms even at its drawing board stage according to the Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual. Its mass added to its lengthy construction time and repair time as well as causing it to be slow and unmaneuverable at impulse speeds. The examples of this being the destruction of the USS Odyssey whereby the smaller Dominion ships have no difficulty in out-maneuvering the ship, also the destruction of the Enterprise-D by a large D-12 Bird of prey which can also been seen as flying around a relatively motionless Enterprise. :In the battle scenes of the retaking of DS9 and the invasion of Cardassia, ''Galaxy-class vessels were notably slower and ponderous compared to smaller craft. In later years of service an attempt to rectify this can be seen by all three impulse drives being used, a condition that was not part of its original specifications whereby only the secondary-hull impulse engine was indented for use in normal flight.'' Further problems resulting from its size included its over-dependence on the structural integrity field for maintaining any structural integrity. Without the SIF the hull would literally sag under Earth gravity or any major change in speed. If the ship suffered any kind of power failure the hull would become very vulnerable. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual). In combat the ship did have some notable weaknesses. Impulse exhaust destabilized the shields at the rear to such a degree that a small ship could pass through it. ( ) Also if enemy fire could penetrate the shields, the ship itself lacked any heavy armor and many primary systems were exposed and vulnerable on the hull. The targeting of the main deflector at the destruction of the USS Odyssey and the hits near and on the secondary hull and shuttle bays of the Enterprise, both lead to these respective ship's relatively speedy destruction. The many windows on the hull could also constitute a structural and defense issue. Another conceptual limitation was the shape of the hull with regards to its warp geometry. The elliptical shape of the primary hull was designed to increase warp field efficiency. This seems to have failed. Practically all other classes introduced after the Galaxy-class with the exception of the Steamrunner and Sabre classes (which are both much smaller and angular and have no secondary hulls) use the newer "wedge" shape primary along with a hybridized, integral secondary hull beneath. The Intrepid, Norway, Nova, Prometheus and Sovereign classes which were more advanced than the Galaxy class used this design. This major design shift hints at the undesirable nature of the elliptical primary hull. The enormous power of the engines were also detrimental when it was discovered that warp speed caused sub-space damage. The Intrepid, Sovereign and possibly other later classes were better-designed in order to limit this. The Galaxy class engine design, though powerful, can be termed as being "last-generation" because of its lack of "eco-friendliness." ( ) Technical data Physical arrangement The Galaxy-class shared a similar design lineage with its slightly smaller counterpart. :It is unknown whether one class spawned the other or if they were designed simultaneously. The only chronological evidence that exists can be determined by a comparison of dedication plaques, which reveals that the ''Nebula-class was commissioned (on Stardate 40250.5) just a short time before the launch (Stardate 40759.5) of the Galaxy-class Enterprise-D.'' The Galaxy-class had two hull sections, a saucer-shaped primary hull and a secondary hull on which were mounted the two warp nacelles. The hulls were capable of reversible saucer separation and were both equipped with independent flight and combat capabilities. Generally, civilians and non-essential personnel would evacuate to the saucer module, while the senior staff confronted a threat in the battle section, which contained the majority of weapons systems. ( ) The saucer was even capable of crash-landing on a planetary surface. ( ) :Although children appeared to be evacuated from the star drive section in ''Generations, Ronald D. Moore commented: "I believe the children were actually being rushed to their "crash stations" or "emergency stations" or something, not being brought up from the battle section. The same goes for the patients in sickbay."'' http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/6952/ron39.txt The hull of the Galaxy-class was left somewhat customizable; areas such as Deck 8 were designated as unfinished and multi-purpose, in the event that extra space was needed for a specific mission. ( ) :According to the ''Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual, when the Enterprise-D was initially launched from Utopia Planitia, a full 35% of the the customizable space was left empty, to be later filled with individual modules as seen fit.'' Command and control systems The computer system on board the Galaxy-class was isolinear based. ( ) Computer systems were concentrated in a computer core, which was accessible through a maintenance room. ( ) Each Galaxy-class vessel carried a total of three independent computer cores; two located in the saucer section and one in the engineering section. :According to the non-canon but Memory Alpha permitted resource ''Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual, all of the ship's essential computer processing functions maybe handled by a single core. Propulsion systems is also visible)]] Galaxy-class ships achieved warp flight through two warp nacelles, which housed multiple pairs of warp coils. ( ) The acceleration delay between slow-reverse impulse and top warp speed, or about warp 9, was 0.300 milliseconds. ( ) The maximum speed was warp 9.6, which could be maintained for approximately twelve hours. ( ) The warp core was one of the most powerful in Starfleet, generating approximately 12.75 billion gigawatts (12.75EW (exawatts) / 1.275x1019W / 12,750,000,000,000,000,000W) (12.75 quintillion watts) of power. ( ) The efficiency of the warp drive could be tweaked to a point where it rivaled the new ships introduced in 2370. ( ) The warp core spanned twelve decks in the engineering hull. The deuterium tanks were above the core, while antimatter storage pods surrounded the base of the core on Deck 42. ( ) There were three impulse engines, two on the saucer section and one in the stardrive section. In early ships, only the impulse engine in the stardrive section was usually active. Upgrades Upgrades to the propulsion systems were tested in 2370 aboard the Enterprise-D; the ship received a new warp core manufactured with interphase technology. ( ) A major overhaul of the nacelles was also conducted that year. ( ) By the mid 2370s, most Galaxy-class ships began operating with all three impulse engines activated. ( ; ) Scientific systems Galaxy-class ships supported a wide variety of scientific equipment and laboratories studying many different disciplines. ( ) The departments often had to compete for limited resources such as sensor time, which were allocated by the operations manager or, on occasion, the executive officer. ( ) Upgrades Sensor systems could be customized and upgraded as necessary for a specific mission. Additional equipment could be added as required. ( ) The latest technologies were generally outfitted to Galaxy-class ships as they left the experimental stages. ( ) Tactical systems The Galaxy-class was equipped with ten phaser banks, located at various points along both hulls. One array was located on the dorsal of the battle section and could only be used following a separation. There were also fore and aft torpedo launchers on the engineering section. ( ) Each launch tube was capable of firing at least five photon torpedoes simultaneously, each torpedo capable of being independently targeted. ( ) In the 2360s, Galaxy-class ships typically carried about 250 photon torpedoes. The torpedo launchers were also capable of launching probes. The Galaxy-class also supported a high-capacity deflector shield grid, with a weakness where the impulse exhaust destabilised the shields. ( ) :While "Conundrum" establishes that there were only ten phaser banks aboard the ship, a visual inspection shows twelve arrays and effects have established extra emitters on the nacelle pylons and in the forward torpedo launcher ( ) The aft firing saucer launcher was never established in dialogue, but is visible on the filming model. Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual states 10 torpedoes can be launched simultaneously and 275 torpedoes are usually carried by the ship. Upgrades The Enterprise-D received weapons systems upgrades in 2370, including a loadout of higher-yield photon torpedoes and enhanced targeting sensors programmed by Lieutenant Worf. ( ) Certain Galaxy-class ships, such as the , were refitted with additional phaser strips on the dorsal surfaces of their nacelles by 2372. ( ) :This modification is an artifact left over from the changes made to the four-foot ''Enterprise model for , although the "bumps" containing the phaser arrays on the Venture seem to have been rotated a full one-hundred eighty degrees from those on the Enterprise-D. The Venture was the only ship to have these modifications; none of the CGI Galaxy-class ships used exclusively since the fifth season of DS9 (including the Venture itself) are modified in such a manner.'' Crew support While Starfleet policy permitted the immediate family of officers and crew to stay aboard starships prior to the advent of the Galaxy-class, it was the first class specifically tailored to accommodate civilian as well as Starfleet personnel. ( ) Civilians were allowed to hold varying positions in the science division aboard the Galaxy-class. ( ) :Regarding the presence of families on starships, Ronald D. Moore commented "''Perhaps still on some ''Galaxy-class ships, but I think this was an experiment that failed." http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/6952/ron9.txt "''I think that the "family friendly" starship notion was an interesting idea, but one that didn't pan out. There was always something awkward about Picard ordering the ship into battle situations with kiddies running through the corridors. And no matter how much lip service we paid to the "our families are part of our strength" concept, it never seemed very smart or very logical to bring the spouse and kids along when you're facing down the Borg, or guarding the Neutral Zone, or plunging the ship into uncharted spatial anomalies."'' http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/6952/ron50.txt Interior design With the presence of families and non-Starfleet personnel aboard, the Galaxy-class interior was mostly designed for their comfort and the well being of the crew in general. While the major command sections maintained form and functionality above all, there remained a much more "relaxed" feel about the design of many of these areas. :In , the interior lighting scheme of the ''Enterprise-D was noticeably darkened.'' Main bridge The main bridge of the Galaxy-class was located on Deck 1 of the saucer section. As with most starships, the main bridge was modular and could be completely replaced with another bridge if the need called for it. Different Galaxy-class starships had different bridge designs. The following describes the bridge design used in at least two Galaxy-class starships, including the USS Enterprise-D. :The theory of different bridge designs for different ''Galaxy-class starships comes from , where the USS Odyssey featured a completely different bridge design from that of the USS Enterprise-D.'' The forward bulkhead was dominated by the main viewscreen. Directly aft of this were the operations manager and conn positions. At the very center of the room was the command area – the captain's chair at the center, flanked by chairs for the first officer to the right, and an additional officer (typically the ship's counselor or chief medical officer) to the left. Smaller backless seats were located on the edges of the command area, for other officers to sit, should the need arise. :In the pilot, as well as early in the first season, the forward bridge consoles don't seem to be dedicated specifically to either helm control or operations since Data, the operations manager, can be seen in both the left and right stations at different times. The console seats were also more reclined in earlier seasons, but became more upright in later seasons. The tactical console, positioned directly behind the captain, was located in the wooden handrail that encircled the rear half of the central command area. The aft bulkhead carried several additional consoles. These could be customized as needed ( ) and were reconfigured at least twice. In 2364, the consoles, from starboard to port, were Science I, Science II, Environment, Emergency Manual Override, and Propulsion Systems. By 2365, they were Science I, Science II, Mission Ops, Environment, and Engineering. The stations featured pullout seats below the console, which were normally flush with the panel below the stations. The bridge was also equipped with two food replicators. By necessity, the bridge had easy access to and from all other important areas of the ship. In all, there were six doors leading from the room. Moving clockwise from the main viewscreen, the first door, level with, and to the right of the conn, lead directly to the battle bridge emergency turbolift. At the rear right of the bridge, a shallow alcove contained two doors, one of which led to a head, the other to a corridor leading to the observation lounge. The door at the rear left of the room opened onto a standard turbolift. Continuing around, the fifth door lead into the captain's ready room, the sixth to another turbolift. ( ) As the main bridge housed so many critical systems, numerous emergency environmental and power backups were included so that duty personnel could continue to work for up to 72 hours in the event of a major shutdown or incapacitation of the vessel. Other safeguards included seven redundant safety interlocks to prevent the life support from being turned off on the bridge. ( ) Upgrades The bridges of Galaxy-class ships were subject to several minor cosmetic changes over their first decade of service. The first major refit came in 2371 as seen aboard the USS Enterprise-D. Six new stations were added, three on each side of the bridge replacing the equipment lockers. The aft stations were accordingly reprogrammed and moved to different locations. The three starboard stations were designated Science I, II, and III. Science IV became the first aft station, followed by Mission Ops, Environment, and Engineering I/II. The port side of the bridge had three communications stations, consoles which were not common to the bridges of 24th century ships. In addition, the command chairs were raised two steps above the helm and ops stations, to provide the captain with an unobstructed view of the forward viewscreen. New carpeting and handrails were also added. ( ) Observation Lounge The observation lounge was located directly aft of the main bridge. The room was usually used as a conference room for the vessel's senior staff. It featured large, aft-facing windows that offered a spectacular view of the back of the starship and space beyond. A conference table with seating for ten people was the main feature of the room, ( ) with LCARS screens on the port and starboard walls for information displays and retrieval. ( ) Holographic emitters embedded within the table could also be used for presenting data. ( ) Some starships featured artwork along the wall opposite the windows; when this was not present the bare wall showed several structural supports. ( ) Battle bridge The battle bridge was located on Deck 8 and was connected to the main bridge and other vital areas of the ship by an emergency turbolift. It was designed to control the stardrive section following a saucer separation. Unlike the main bridge, there was much more focus on combat and tactical systems and no science stations. The battle bridge was modular, like the main bridge; at least two variants have been seen aboard Galaxy-class ships. ( ) :The battle bridge was stated as being on Deck 17 according to . Main engineering Engineering systems spanned twelve decks of the engineering section. Engineering itself was located on Deck 36 ( ) and was an open-plan facility, directly accessible from the corridor. Consisting of two levels, it provided direct access to the vessel's warp core and primary engineering support systems. The corridor bulkhead housed the Master Situation Monitor. Inside the main section, the master systems display, affectionately known as the pool table, was the operational focus of the room. Beyond this, heading towards the warp core, the chief engineer's office and several support consoles were located on the left, and the assistant chief engineer's console on the right. These formed part of the bulkhead protecting the main part of Engineering from the warp core. Access to the upper level, a circular area surrounding the warp core, was provided by a ladder to the left of the warp core or an elevator on the right. The upper level had access to other warp core maintenance systems. ( ) Engineering could also serve as a backup to the main bridge if it was damaged or disabled. ( ) In the event of a major failure, such as an imminent warp core breach, engineering was equipped with isolation doors and forcefields to contain various sections of the facility, usually to seal off the warp core prior to detonation or ejection. ( ; ) Medical facilties The Galaxy-class medical department was charged with providing health care to the ship's company and all attached personnel. Sickbay There were at least three sickbay wards aboard the ship, ( ) with at least one in the saucer section ( ) and another in the stardrive section. ( ) There were four recovery biobeds on the periphery of the room with a main surgical biobed opposite them, covered by a large overhead sensor cluster and capable of hookup to a surgical support frame. Equipment storage and various control panels were located throughout sickbay. The chief medical officer's office was a small space just off the main sickbay, with desk and workspace for the CMO. A small foyer connected the office to the sickbay; it contained a replicator terminal. Separate, private recovery rooms were also located near sickbay ( ) as was a nursery ( ) and a diagnostic center. ( ) A Galaxy-class sickbay also had the facilities to isolate parasitic protoviruses. ( ) Medlabs Galaxy-class ships had at least four medical laboratories of varying sizes. There was a small laboratory accessible through the foyer outside the chief medical officer's office where minor experiments run by on-duty personnel could be monitored. ( ) Other larger medlabs similar to standard science labs were elsewhere. ( ) Surgical suite Surgeries too complicated for the sickbay ward could be conducted in a separate surgical area which had a large variety of bio-support systems. ( ) Emergency bio-support unit There was a separate room located near the main sickbay facility on Deck 12 that contained the emergency bio-support unit. Patients with severe burn injuries could be treated here in a closed cell. ( ) Morgue A morgue facility with storage slots for several bodies was located adjacent to sickbay. ( ) Counselor's office The ship's counselor had his or her own office, located on Deck 9. Crew members needing emotional support could meet in private with the counselor here. ( ) Scientific department The Galaxy-class starship housed over one hundred separate scientific research labs. Very few of the research labs remained under the same discipline of science for more than six months. Most shared the same design; only a few had extremely specialized equipment. Stellar cartography The vessel also housed a stellar cartography department, located on Deck 9. There were at least two laboratories based there; one, a smaller facility similar to the other labs aboard the ship; another, a much larger cylindrical room spanning three decks. The walls of the room were designed to be a three-dimensional display. ( ) Cybernetics lab Aboard the Enterprise-D, the cybernetics lab was a circular room, with a raised platform in its center containing a shell which could hold a cybernetic body. The entire assembly could retract into the ceiling and was directly controlled by a console to the side. There were additional wall-mounted consoles throughout the room. ( ) The laboratory was redesigned in 2368 and altered to become much more rectangular, although it still featured the shell assembly. ( ) Arboretum The arboretum was capable of studying and supporting a wide variety of plant life, and also doubled as a social area. ( ) Cetacean labs The Galaxy-class starship carried a complement of cetaceans. Among the crew, these facilities were also known as "the dolphin tanks" ( ) or the "aquatic lab." ( ) In an alternate timeline, these facilities were also known as Cetacean Ops. ( ) :These labs are shown in the saucer section in the ''Star Trek: The Next Generation USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D Blueprints and are mentioned in the TNG Technical Manual. While the area itself was unfortunately never seen on the show, their existence has been confirmed in dialog.'' Transport and cargo Transporter rooms Galaxy-class starships had twenty transporter rooms located throughout the vessel. ( ) Four transporter rooms were located on Deck 6 in the saucer section, ( ) while two more were on Deck 14 in the stardrive section. ( ) Shuttlebays There were three shuttlebays aboard each Galaxy-class starship, supporting many varieties of shuttlecraft. The main shuttlebay was located on Deck 4 in the saucer section. It was so massive that an explosive decompression of the air within the bay would contain enough force to propel the ship forward. ( ) Two smaller shuttlebays were on Deck 13 in the engineering hull. ( ) :The main shuttlebay would have been prohibitively expensive to build as an actual set, and was only seen in miniature form during . During the first few seasons of ''Star Trek: The Next Generation, Shuttlebays 2 and 3 were erroneously shown on Deck 11.'' Embarked craft * type-6 shuttlecraft ( ) * type-7 shuttlecraft ( ) * type 15 shuttlepod ( ) * runabout ( ) * captain's yacht Cargo bays There were numerous multi-level cargo bays located all throughout the ship. Most of these bays contained sufficient room for storage, cargo transporters, and anti-grav units for the transportation of cargo. ( ) Cargo bay four was the only cargo bay with direct access to the exterior hull. ( ) Crew quarters Most crew quarters on the Galaxy-class were located in the ship's saucer section, in order to provide safety for civilian and non-essential personnel during a saucer separation. However, the engineering hull also contained crew quarters, generally containing engineering personnel and their families. ( ; ) Pets, including cats and dogs, were also allowed aboard ship. ( ) There were several types of crew quarters aboard: *Junior officers' quarters - These small-unit quarters were located on the interior of the ship and lacked windows. They were comprised of a living area, a bedroom, and a bathroom. Crewmembers of Lieutenant Junior Grade were given their own quarters; ensigns were required to share quarters. ( ) The living area contained a replicator terminal and was customizable with a variety of furniture and decorations. *Officers' quarters - These quarters lined the edge of the saucer section and contained a living area, a bedroom, and a bathroom area. ( ) They were generally reserved for lieutenant commanders and above. Similar quarters were also available to enlisted and civilian personnel with families. ( ) *Captain's quarters - The captain's quarters, located on Deck 8, were similar to the officers' quarters but were slightly larger. The captain had a large desk area and work terminal. VIP and diplomatic guest quarters shared the same layout. ( ) Recreational facilities Ten Forward Located at the forward-most section of the saucer module on Deck 10(deck 10, forward station one), Ten Forward served as the social center of the ship. It had a battery of recreational games including three-dimensional chess as well as a fully stocked bar which carried syntheholic beverages. The replicators were also able to produce other food and drinks for the crew to enjoy in a relaxed social setting. Its large, panoramic windows permitted a staggering view of the ship's passage through space. ( ) :To date, Ten Forward has only been shown on board the . However, there is no evidence proving that it was not a feature of every ''Galaxy-class ship. Given the extended duration of their missions, it is likely that designers included this feature on her sister ships to serve their recreational and social needs as well. In the novel The Return, Ten Forward is replaced by "Shuttlebay Four".'' Holodeck The Galaxy-class carried sixteen holodecks, which are located on Decks 9, 10 and 11. ( ) Phaser range court]] The phaser range was located on Deck 12. A person stood on a platform in the center of the room, illuminated only by the light which came from above the platform. Colored circular lights, approximately the size of a Human hand, whirled across the walls, and the person aimed and fired at selected targets. After completing a round, the number of hits and misses, along with the percentage of accuracy, were tallied by the ship's computer. There were at least fifteen levels of difficulty, and the range could be customized for two-player competition. The phaser range was also used by security officers to train personnel in marksmanship. ( ) Gymnasium The gymnasium, which was also on Deck 12, contained a variety of recreational equipment for a variety of sports. In addition to aerobic studios ( ) and martial arts areas ( ), there was a parrises squares area ( ), a squash court, ( ) and an anbo-jytsu court. ( ) The gymnasium also featured a fencing room. Aboard the Enterprise-D, Captain Picard usually fenced with fellow crewmembers. ( ) Theater and Concert Hall There was a large theater aboard, which was equipped to seat large groups of people. The theater could also be used as a concert hall for musical performances by crew members. ( ) :The theater set was a reuse of the Ten Forward set. Salon The salon was an area where crewmembers could get personal care ranging from a simple haircut to an elaborate spa-like treatment. ( ) Replimat At the replimat, crewmembers could replicate items which were too large or complicated for a standard food replicator terminal. They could "shop" for certain items by reviewing the fabrication database. ( ) Educational facilities There were several small schools of varying sizes located throughout the ship, ranging from actual classrooms ( ) to specialized workshops. ( ) Ships commissioned ;Named: * (NCC-71099) * (NCC-1701-D) * (prototype, NCC-70637) * (NCC-71832) * (NCC-71854) * (NCC-71807) ;Unnamed: * [[Unnamed Galaxy class starships|Unnamed Galaxy-class starships]] Appendices Appearances * ** The ''Galaxy-class appears in every episode.'' ** Galaxy-class ships other than the Enterprise-D: *** (model) *** *** * * ** ** (model) ** ** ** (model) ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** * ** (model) ** (wall display) ** ** ** (database image) ** * ** (database image, saucer section only) ** Background The Galaxy-class starship was first seen as the USS Enterprise-D. It was designed by Andrew Probert. Interiors were supervised by Herman Zimmerman in the first season of TNG and , and Richard James for the subsequent six seasons. When it came time to design a new starship Enterprise for The Next Generation, history did not repeat itself. Where Matt Jefferies had produced hundreds of sketches to come up with the design direction for the original Enterprise, Andrew Probert's main design work for the new Enterprise was done before his job even started. Before the series was announced, Andrew Probert painted the upper illustration on the right of a future starship concept, strictly for his own enjoyment. When he went to work on the Paramount lot to design the new Enterprise, he brought that painting with him as inspiration and hung it on his office wall. One day, David Gerrold came into Probert's office, saw the painting, and asked if Gene Roddenberry has seen it. Probert said he hadn't, and Gerrold immediately took it in to Roddenberry, who approved the painting's design direction on the spot. All that remained was fine-tuning and filling in the details. Gene Roddenberry asked only for two modifications to Probert's final design. He wanted to restore the bridge to its position on the top of the saucer section and to extend the nacelles so that they had similar proportions to the original Enterprise. Andrew Probert made a series of drawings refining the new look for the Enterprise's bridge. An early writers' bible for the new series described the new bridge as combining "the features of ship control, briefing room, information retrieval area, and officers' wardroom. In other words, much the same kinds of things happen here as in the old bridge, but with less emphasis on the mechanics of steering the starship." That new, less mechanistic approach can be seen in the preliminary designs featuring viewing couches and a conference table on the bridge. Technical specifications for the Galaxy-class were visible on a display in the conference lounge of the Enterprise-D beginning with the episode . *On a side note, a four-foot model of the Enterprise-D was re-labeled as the (NCC-71867). It was displayed at a restaurant, and never appeared in an episode. Technical Manual The Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual and the Star Trek: The Next Generation USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D Blueprints shows that the Galaxy-class was equipped with a third torpedo launcher that was exposed upon the saucer separating from the battle section. The Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual lists the class' statistics as follows: * Type: Explorer * Production Base: ASDB Integration Facility, Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards, Mars * Accommodation: 1,012 officers and crew; 200 visiting personnel; 15000 personal evacuation limit * Power Plant: One 1,500+ Cochrane warp core feeding two nacelles; one impulse system in stardrive section, two impulse systems in saucer section * Dimensions: ** Length: 641 meters ** Beam: 463.73 meters ** Height: 195.26 meters * Mass: 4,500,000 metric tons * Performance: Warp 9.6 for 12 hours (STD); warp 9.9 for 12 hours (Uprated) * Armament: Eleven type-X phaser emitters; two photon torpedo launchers While the Technical Manuals themselves are not canon, they are Memory Alpha permitted resources. Apocrypha *In the Star Trek: Armada series of computer games, the Galaxy-class is referred to as a battleship in gameplay. On screen, the USS Enterprise-D has been casually referred to as a battleship in and . However, these instances take place in Alternate timelines and it is not known if "battleship" is an actual starship type within Starfleet. *In Peter David's "New Frontier" line of novels, Captain Calhoun and crew are given a Galaxy-class replacement for the lost . It is notable for also possessing a designation as the Excalibur-A, something only previously seen with Kirk's . *Several Galaxy-class starships have been mentioned in novels and games: :USS Allegheny (Star Trek: Armada II) :USS Asgard (A Time to Be Born) :USS Bolivar (Rogue Saucer) :USS Breedlove (Star Trek Invasion: Time's Enemy) :USS Challenger II (The Return) :USS Cheyenne (NCC-75435) (Star Trek: Borg) :USS Constitution (Double Helix: Infection; Possession) :USS Dauntless (NCC-71879) (Star Trek: Bridge Commander) (destroyed in battle) :USS Excalibur-A (Excalibur: Restoration et al.) :USS Hood (Station Rage) :USS Idaho (The Big Game; The Long Night; Star Trek Invasion: The Soldiers Of Fear) :USS Madison (The Big Game; The Long Night; Star Trek Invasion: The Soldiers Of Fear) :USS Monitor (Star Trek: Away Team) (assimilated) :USS Muakaikubo (Star Trek Invasion: Time's Enemy) (destroyed in battle) :USS Oraidhe (Intellivore) :USS Oregon (NCC-75698) (Star Trek: Armada) :USS Potemkin (Station Rage) :USS San Francisco (NCC-74780) (Star Trek: Bridge Commander) :USS ''Trident (Gateways: Cold Wars et al.) External links * * *[http://www.ottens.co.uk/forgottentrek/tng_1.php Designing the next generation Enterprise] at Forgotten Trek *[http://www.lcarscom.net/fsd/art/1701-d.html Designing the Enterprise-D] at Federation Starship Datalink Category:Federation starship classes cs:Třída Galaxy de:Galaxy-Klasse es:Clase Galaxy fr:Classe Galaxy nl:Galaxy klasse